Dexamethasone attenuates the embryotoxic effect of peritoneal fluid from infertile women with endometriosis in a murine model

Thursday, October 11, 2012 — Poster Session IV
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Natcher Conference Center, Building 45	NICHD	INFLAM-1

Authors

• R.J. Heitmann
• K.J. Tobler
• L. Gillette
• J. Tercero
• J.H. Segars
• R.O. Burney

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of dexamethasone on murine embryos exposed to human endometriotic peritoneal fluid (PF). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blastocyst development rate. METHODS: PF was obtained from women with and without severe endometriosis. Murine embryos were harvested and randomly allocated to five groups of culture media conditions: (1) Human Tubal Fluid (HTF), (2) HTF and 10% PF from women without endometriosis, (3) HTF and 10% PF from women with endometriosis (PF-E), (4) HTF with PF-E and 0.01 mcg/ml dexamethasone, (5) HTF with PF-E and 0.1 mcg/ml dexamethasone. Embryos were cultured in standard conditions and evaluated for blastocyst development. RESULTS: A total of 266 mouse embryos were cultured. The blastocyst development rate was significantly reduced by the presence of endometriotic PF (1 v 3; p = 0.007 and 2 v 3; p = 0.036) and improved by the addition of dexamethasone at 0.1 mcg/mL (3 v 5; p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: The results of our study confirm the deleterious impact of endometriotic PF on embryo development and attenuation of this impact with addition of dexamethasone. If confirmed in vivo, dexamethasone may prove a useful adjunct to the IVF treatment of endometriosis-associated infertility.

back to top